U.S. patent application number 11/487449 was filed with the patent office on 2007-07-12 for non-standard api-supporting broadcast reception device and function setting method therefor.
This patent application is currently assigned to SAMSUNG ELECTRONICS CO., LTD.. Invention is credited to Mun-seok Kim, Doo-hee Lee, Kyung-chul Nam, Yong-chun Song.
Application Number | 20070162925 11/487449 |
Document ID | / |
Family ID | 38089215 |
Filed Date | 2007-07-12 |
United States Patent
Application |
20070162925 |
Kind Code |
A1 |
Kim; Mun-seok ; et
al. |
July 12, 2007 |
Non-standard API-supporting broadcast reception device and function
setting method therefor
Abstract
A broadcast reception device performing image/sound-related
settings. The broadcast reception device includes an application
part which executes an application program, a platform part which
executes an Application Program Interface (API) for image-related
and sound-related settings if the application part calls the
image-related and sound-related setting API, and a function module
part which implements a function corresponding to the API executed
in the platform. If the image-related and sound-related setting API
is a non-standard API, the application part directly calls the
standard API requesting for a list of the non-standard API, and the
platform part provides the non-standard API list to the application
part. Accordingly, if the non-standard API is selected out of the
list, the platform part executes the selected non-standard API.
Inventors: |
Kim; Mun-seok; (Suwon-si,
KR) ; Nam; Kyung-chul; (Suwon-si, KR) ; Song;
Yong-chun; (Suwon-si, KR) ; Lee; Doo-hee;
(Suwon-si, KR) |
Correspondence
Address: |
SUGHRUE MION, PLLC
2100 PENNSYLVANIA AVENUE, N.W.
SUITE 800
WASHINGTON
DC
20037
US
|
Assignee: |
SAMSUNG ELECTRONICS CO.,
LTD.
|
Family ID: |
38089215 |
Appl. No.: |
11/487449 |
Filed: |
July 17, 2006 |
Current U.S.
Class: |
725/30 ;
348/E5.006 |
Current CPC
Class: |
H04N 21/4431
20130101 |
Class at
Publication: |
725/030 |
International
Class: |
H04N 7/16 20060101
H04N007/16 |
Foreign Application Data
Date |
Code |
Application Number |
Jan 9, 2006 |
KR |
10-2006-0002445 |
Claims
1. A broadcast reception device comprising: an application part
which executes an application program; a platform part which
executes an Application Program Interface (API) for image-related
and sound-related settings if the application part calls an
image-related and sound-related setting API; and a function module
part which implements a function corresponding to the API executed
in the platform part.
2. The device as claimed in claim 1, wherein if the image-related
and sound-related setting API is a standard API defined in a
predefined specification, the application part directly calls the
standard API.
3. The device as claimed in claim 1, wherein if the image-related
and sound-related API is a non-standard API not defined in a
predefined specification, the application part calls a standard API
requesting for a non-standard API list.
4. The device as claimed in claim 3, wherein if the application
part calls the standard API requesting for the non-standard API
list, the platform part provides the non-standard API list to the
application part.
5. The device as claimed in claim 4, wherein if the application
part selects the non-standard API from the non-standard API list,
the platform part executes the selected non-standard API.
6. The device as claimed in claim 5, wherein the platform part
comprises: an API part which provides the standard API defined in
the predefined specification according to a request of the
application program executed in the application part; an
implementation part which executes the standard API provided by the
API part, and creates and provides the non-standard API list to the
application part through the API part; and a native interface part
which interfaces the function module part with the implementation
part.
7. The device as claimed in claim 6, wherein the application
program is a Java application program, and the standard API is a
standard Java API, and the non-standard API is a non-standard Java
API.
8. The device as claimed in claim 7 further comprising: a
communication interface part which selects a channel and downloads
an application program from the selected channel, wherein the
application part installs and executes the application program
downloaded through the communication interface part.
9. The device as claimed in claim 8, wherein the implementation
part checks an API use authorization for the application program
installed in the application part, and the API part provides a list
of the non-standard API and the standard API only if the
application program having the API use authorization is executed in
the application part.
10. The device as claimed in claim 2, wherein the predefined
specification is one of Advanced Common Application Platform, Open
Cable Application Platform, and Multimedia Home Platform.
11. The device as claimed in claim 3, wherein the non-standard API
includes image characteristics setting API and sound
characteristics setting API.
12. A function setting method for a broadcast reception device, the
method comprising: executing an application program; executing by a
platform an Application Program Interface (API) for image-related
and sound-related settings if the API for image-related and
sound-related settings is called by the application program; and
performing the image-related and sound-related settings.
13. The method as claimed in claim 12, wherein the executing the
API comprises calling a standard API directly by the application
program if the API for image-related and sound-related settings is
the standard API which is defined in a predefined
specification.
14. The method as claimed in claim 12, wherein the executing the
API comprises calling by the application program a standard API
requesting for a non-standard API list if the API for image-related
and sound-related settings is a non-standard API which is not
defined in a certain specification.
15. The method as claimed in claim 14, wherein the executing the
API comprises: providing by the platform the non-standard API list
to the application program if the application program calls the
standard API requesting for the non-standard API list; and
executing a selected non-standard API by the platform if the
application program selects the non-standard API from the
non-standard API list.
16. The method as claimed in claim 15, further comprising:
executing the requested standard API and providing a function
corresponding to the requested standard API, by the platform, if
the application program requests for the standard API.
17. The method as claimed in claim 16, wherein the application
program is a Java application program, the standard API is a
standard Java API, and the non-standard API is a non-standard Java
API.
18. The method as claimed in claim 17, wherein the performing
includes providing controlling, by the platform, of at least one
function module part and providing a function corresponding to the
non-standard API selected from the non-standard API list and the
standard API.
19. The method as claimed in claim 18, wherein the executing the
application program comprises: selecting a channel and downloading
the application program from the selected channel; and installing
and executing the downloaded application program.
20. The method as claimed in claim 19, further comprising checking
an API use authorization for the installed application program,
wherein the executing the API and the executing the requested
standard API include providing the non-standard API list and the
standard API only for the application program given the API use
authorization.
21. The method as claimed in claim 13, wherein the predefined
specification is one of Advanced Common Application Platform, Open
Cable Application Platform, and Multimedia Home Platform.
22. The method as claimed in claim 14, wherein the non-standard API
comprises image characteristics setting API and sound
characteristics setting API.
Description
CROSS-REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATIONS
[0001] This application claims priority from Korean Patent
Application No. 10-2006-0002445, filed Jan. 9, 2006, in the Korean
Intellectual Property Office, the entire contents of which are
incorporated herein by reference.
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
[0002] 1. Field of the Invention
[0003] The present invention relates to a broadcast reception
device and a function setting method therefor, and more
particularly to a broadcast reception device and a function setting
method therefor, capable of performing image-related and
sound-related settings.
[0004] 2. Description of the Related Art
[0005] The field of digital technologies has been remarkably
advanced. Diverse standard specifications have been adopted and
used for broadcast reception devices receiving and processing
digital broadcast signals. Such standards include the Advanced
Common Application Platform (ACAP), Open Cable Application Platform
(OCAP), Multimedia Home Platform (MHP), and the like.
[0006] According to the standards, diverse application programs are
downloaded into a broadcast reception device and perform various
services provided by broadcast providers. According to the OCAP
specification, an application program named as Xlet is installed
and executed in a broadcast reception device. Such an application
program is provided with a standard Application Program Interface
(API) from the broadcast reception device, and sets functions of
the broadcast reception device, related to which various
specifications define various kinds of APIs.
[0007] However, image-related and sound-related specifications are
not yet defined. Broadcast reception device makers can
independently specify and apply image characteristics APIs related
to image, sound characteristics APIs related to sound, and the
like, so the image-related and sound-related APIs can not be
defined in specifications.
[0008] Therefore, the image-related and sound-related APIs and
other non-standard APIs not defined in standard cannot be provided
for application programs. Thus, there exists a problem since the
functions corresponding to the non-standard APIs cannot be set. As
a result, there exists a problem in that consumers' demands for
better image and sound qualities cannot be sufficiently met.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
[0009] Illustrative, non-limiting embodiments of the present
invention overcome the above disadvantages and other disadvantages
not described above. Also, the present invention is not required to
overcome the disadvantages described above, and an illustrative,
non-limiting embodiment of the present invention may not overcome
any of the problems described above.
[0010] The present invention provides a broadcast reception device
and a function setting method therefor, capable of performing image
and sound-related settings.
[0011] The present invention also provides a broadcast reception
device and a function setting method therefor, which enable users
to set functions corresponding to a non-standard API by providing a
non-standard API list to application programs for selections in
case an API for image-related and sound-related settings is the
non-standard API not defined in specifications
[0012] According to an aspect of the present invention, there is
provided a broadcast reception device, comprising an application
part for executing an application program; a platform part for
executing an API for image-related and sound-related settings if
the application part calls the image-related and sound-related
setting API; and a function module part for implementing a function
corresponding to the API executed in the platform.
[0013] If the image-related and sound-related setting API is a
standard API defined in the specification, the application part can
directly call the standard API.
[0014] If the image-related and sound-related API is a non-standard
API not defined in the specification, the application part can call
a standard API for requesting for a non-standard API list.
[0015] If the application part calls the standard API for
requesting for the non-standard API list, the platform part
provides the non-standard API list to the application part.
[0016] Thus, if the application part selects the non-standard API
out of the list, the platform part executes the selected
non-standard API.
[0017] The platform part can include an API part for providing the
standard API defined in a corresponding specification according to
a request of the application program executed in the application
part; an implementation part for executing an API provided by the
API part, and creating and providing the non-standard API list to
the application part through the API part; and a native interface
part for interfacing the function module part with the
implementation part.
[0018] Further, the application program can be a Java application
program, and the standard API and the non-standard API can be a
standard Java API and a non-standard Java API, respectively.
[0019] Further, the device can further comprise a communication
interface part for selecting a certain channel and downloading an
application program from the selected channel. Here, the
application part can install and execute the application program
downloaded through the communication interface part.
[0020] The implementation part can check an API use authorization
for the application program installed in the application part.
Accordingly, the API part can provide a list of the standard API
and the non-standard API only if an application program having the
API use authorization is executed in the application part.
[0021] In the exemplary embodiments as described above, the
standard API can be an API defined in one specification out of
ACAP, OCAP, and MHP, and the non-standard API can include image
characteristics setting API and the sound characteristics setting
API.
[0022] According to another aspect of the present invention, there
is provided a function setting method for a broadcast reception
device, comprising (a) executing an application program; (b)
executing by a platform an API for image-related and sound-related
settings if the API for image-related and sound-related settings is
called by the application program; and (c) performing the
image-related and sound-related settings.
[0023] The operation (b) can include, if the API for image-related
and sound-related settings is a standard API defined in a certain
specification, calling the standard API directly by the application
program.
[0024] The operation (b) can include, if the API for image and
sound related setting is a non-standard API not defined in a
certain specification, calling a standard API for requesting for a
non-standard API list, by the application program.
[0025] The operation (b) can include providing by the platform a
list of the non-standard API to the application program if the
application program calls a standard API for requesting for the
non-standard API list; and executing the selected non-standard API
by the platform part if the application program selects the
non-standard API from the list.
[0026] The method can further comprise (d) executing the requested
standard API and providing a function corresponding to the
requested standard API, by the platform part, if the application
program requests for the certain standard API.
[0027] The application program can be a Java application program,
and the standard API and the non-standard API can be a standard
Java API and a non-standard Java API, respectively.
[0028] The operation (a) can include selecting a certain channel
and downloading an application program from the selected channel;
and installing and executing the downloaded application
program.
[0029] The operation (a) can include selecting a certain channel
and downloading an application program from the selected channel;
and installing and executing the downloaded application
program.
[0030] The method can further comprise checking an API use
authorization for the installed application program. The operations
(b) and (d) can include providing the non-standard API list and the
standard API only for an application program given the API use
authorization.
[0031] In the exemplary embodiments as described above, the
standard API can be an API defined in one specification of ACAP,
OCAP, and MHP, and the non-standard API can include the image
characteristics setting API and the sound characteristics setting
API.
BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS
[0032] The above and other aspects of the present invention will be
made more apparent by describing exemplary embodiments of the
present invention with reference to the accompanying drawings, in
which:
[0033] FIGS. 1 and 2 are block diagrams showing the configuration
of a broadcast reception device according to an exemplary
embodiment of the present invention; and
[0034] FIG. 3 is a flow chart illustrating a function setting
method for the broadcast reception device according to an exemplary
embodiment of the present invention.
DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE EXEMPLARY EMBODIMENTS
[0035] Hereinafter, exemplary embodiments of the present invention
will be described in detail with reference to the accompanying
drawings.
[0036] FIG. 1 is a block diagram showing the configuration of a
broadcast reception device according to an exemplary embodiment of
the present invention. In FIG. 1, the broadcast reception device
has an application part 110, a platform part 120, and a function
module part 130.
[0037] The application part 110 executes application programs. The
application programs can be the programs provided by a broadcast
company.
[0038] The platform part 120 executes the API called by the
application program executed in the application part 110. The API
is a set of functions provided for application programs.
[0039] The function module part 130 implements a function
corresponding to the API executed by the platform part 120.
[0040] Referring to FIG. 1, the platform part 120 includes an API
part 121, an implementation part 122, and a native interface part
123.
[0041] The API part 121 provides a standard API an application
program requests for. The standard API refers to the API defined in
specifications such as ACAP, OCAP, MHP, and the like.
[0042] The implementation part 122 executes the standard API
provided by the API part 121. In this case, since the standard does
not define various function values, variables, execution
algorithms, and the like, for implementing a standard API,
individual broadcast reception device makers can independently
design.
[0043] In detail, in order to display a menu, the application
program executed in the application part 110 calls a standard API
for displaying the menu. Thus, the API part 121 provides a menu
display API defined in the specification. The implementation part
122 executes the menu display API. That is, the implementation part
122 controls the function module part 130 to create and display a
menu display window on the screen.
[0044] The native interface part 123 interfaces with the
implementation part 122 and the function module part 130. One or
more function module parts 130 are constructed, and implement the
functions corresponding to the API executed by the implementation
part 122.
[0045] The application part 110 and the platform part 120 applied
to a broadcast reception device are usually designed in the Java
programming language. However, the function module part 130 mounted
in the broadcast reception device is usually designed in the native
programming language such as C, C++, or the like. The native
interface part 123 interfaces the implementation part 122 designed
in the Java language with the function module part 130 designed in
a native language, so the implementation part 122 can control the
function module part 130 to execute a function corresponding to the
API.
[0046] The application part 110 can call an API for image-related
and sound-related settings, and adjust image and sound output
values. If the API for image-related and sound-related settings is
a standard API defined in various specifications, the application
part 110 can directly call the API for image-related and
sound-related settings from the platform part 120. The platform
part 120 executes the API for image-related and sound-related
settings as defined in the specification.
[0047] Meanwhile, the API for image-related and sound-related
settings may not be defined in the specification. In this case, an
API requesting for a non-standard API list must be separately
defined in the specification. Thus, a non-standard API can be
called out by utilizing the defined standard API. In detail, a
standard API can be defined in a form such as "getXXXList".
However, a non-standard API may include APIs for image and sound
characteristics settings. A list of the image characteristics
setting APIs can be requested for through a standard API such as
"getImageModeList", and a list of the sound characteristics setting
APIs can be requested for through a standard API such as
"getSoundModeList".
[0048] Thus, if the application part 110 calls "getImageModeList"
or "getSoundModeList", the implementation part 122 creates a
non-standard API list. Table 1 shows an example of non-standard
APIs. TABLE-US-00001 TABLE 1 Image characteristics setting API
Sound characteristics setting API <getImageModeList>
<getSoundModeList> -SetStandardMode -SetStandardMode
-SetMovieMode -SetMovieMode -SetTextMode -SetMusicMode(pop, jazz,
Rock,..) -SetSportsMode -SetSpeechMode -SetCartoonMode
-SetCustomMode -SetNaturalMode ... -SetCustomMode ...
[0049] As shown in Table 1, the image characteristics setting API
can be APIs for diverse image modes, such as general mode, movie
mode, text mode, sports mode, cartoon mode, natural mode, custom
mode, and so on. Further, the sound characteristics setting API can
be APIs for diverse sound output modes, such as general mode, movie
mode, music mode, speech mode, custom mode, and so on. An
appropriate image output value or a sound output value is
determined and matched to each non-standard API.
[0050] The application part 110 selects a non-standard API from the
list. The implementation part 122 controls the function module 130
to carry out a function corresponding to the selected non-standard
API. In detail, in case "SetMovieMode" is selected, the
implementation part 122 converts an output scale to be suitable to
a source size, for example, 16:9, and also adjusts luminance,
chrominance, white balance, and the like, to a value suitable for a
movie.
[0051] Meanwhile, in case "SetMusicMode" is selected out of the
sound characteristics setting APIs, it is converted into stereo
outputs, and carries out a frequency equalization, so that the
sound quality suitable for music genre can be implemented.
[0052] FIG. 2 shows a block diagram for showing the state of
addition of a communication interface part 140 to the broadcast
reception device of FIG. 1. Referring to FIG. 2, the broadcast
reception includes an application part 110, a platform part 120, a
function module part 130, and a communication interface part 140.
Since description has been made on the functions and configurations
of the application part 110, platform part 120, and function module
part 130 of FIG. 2 with reference to FIG. 1, further description
will be omitted for the sake of brevity.
[0053] The communication interface part 140 operates to download
external application programs. In detail, the communication
interface part 140 can select a certain broadcast channel, and
download an application program through the selected channel.
[0054] The downloaded application program is installed and executed
in the application part 110. The platform part 120 determines
whether or not to give authorization to use an API to the newly
installed application program. According to the MHP specification,
the downloaded application program contains a Permission Request
File (PRF). Thus, the platform part 120 reads the PRF and checks an
authentication number and the like, and decides whether or not to
give an API use authorization with respect to the corresponding
application program. The API use authorization is selectively given
according to a result of the decision.
[0055] If an application program given the API use authorization is
executed in the application part 110, the platform part 120
executes the API called by the application program as described
above. However, if an application program not given the API use
authorization is executed, the platform part 120 does not execute
the API even though a standard API and a non-standard API are
called by the application part 110.
[0056] FIG. 3 is a flow chart for explaining a function setting
method for the broadcast reception device according to an exemplary
embodiment of the present invention. Referring to FIG. 3, if the
application program is carried out (S310), it is checked whether a
corresponding application program has the API use authorization
(S320).
[0057] If it is decided that the API use authorization exists, it
is determined whether an application program given the API use
authorization calls a non-standard API (S330). If the application
program calls a standard API, the platform part 120 provides and
executes the called standard API (S335).
[0058] Meanwhile, if an application program given the API use
authorization calls a non-standard API, a non-standard API list is
provided to the application program (S340). The list can contain
information on diverse kinds of APIs not defined in specifications.
In this case, the application program can call a non-standard API
by using a standard API, for example, getImageModeList or
getSoundModeList, for calling the non-standard API.
[0059] The application program selects a non-standard API from the
list provided by the platform part 120 (S350). Here, the
non-standard API selection through the application program can be
made by a cable service provider or a broadcast station
manufacturing and uploading application programs or a broadcast
reception device user.
[0060] Thus, the selected non-standard API is executed to set a
corresponding function (S360). Therefore, the broadcast reception
device can perform the set function. In detail, an image-related
API or an sound-related API can be executed. Meanwhile, if there
exists a standard API for image-related and sound-related settings,
the standard API can be used for the image-related and
sound-related settings to be done. As a result, the image or sound
quality can be appropriately adjusted.
[0061] In the examples described above, the application program can
be a Java application program coded in the Java language. Further,
the standard API and the non-standard API can be a standard Java
API and a non-standard Java API programmed in the Java
language.
[0062] As stated above, according to exemplary embodiments of the
present invention, the list of non-standard APIs net defined in
specifications is provided to an application program so that the
application program can set even a non-standard function. Thus,
diverse functions can be efficiently used which individual
broadcast reception device makers provide. In particular, since an
image output characteristics value or a sound output
characteristics value can be adjusted, user satisfaction can be
enhanced.
[0063] As aforementioned, the exemplary embodiments of the present
invention are shown and described, but the present invention is not
limited to the exemplary embodiments described above, and can be
implemented in various modifications by those skilled in the art to
which the present invention pertains without departing from the
scope of the present invention recited in the appended claims, and
such modifications should not be understood to depart from the
technical spirit or prospect of the present invention.
* * * * *